Pecan Valley Pecans

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
2 cups cranberries; fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
½ teaspoon orange extract
⅓ cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine; room temperature
1¾ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In medium saucepan, combine cranberries, juice and honey. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes if using fresh cranberries or 20 minutes if using frozen berries. Cool.
3. Puree cranberry mixture in blender, return to saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl. Stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to boil and cook until thickened. Stir in orange extract. Cool; then pour into pie shell.
4. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey and butter; cook and stir 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth. Stir in pecan halves until well-coated.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until top is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

2½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; ground
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter; melted
2 packages unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons brandy
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups scalded milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup dark rum
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Chocolate curls
Raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Butter 10-inch pie plate.
3. In medium bowl, combine pecans, sugar and melted butter. Mix well. Press firmly into pie plate. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes while preheating oven
4. Bake crust about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Meanwhile prepare eggnog filling. In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over cold water and brandy and allow to soften. While that soaks, combine egg yolks and sugar in small mixer bowl and mix at high speed with electric mixer until mixture forms ribbons when beaters are lifted. Pour into large heavy saucepan and slowly stir in hot milk.
6. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon (and/or thermometer registers 172ºF). Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin until dissolved. Stir in vanilla and rum.
7. Pour custard into a medium bowl set into a larger bowl of ice and water and allow to cool, stirring frequently. When it begins to set around the edges, remove from ice bath (do not allow to set completely).
8. In chilled bowl, beat cream to soft peaks and fold gradually into custard. If necessary, refrigerate filling a few minutes until it mounds when spooned. Pile filling into crust and refrigerate until set (about an hour).
9. Prepare topping. In chilled medium bowl, whip cream and confectioners sugar to stiff peaks and pile on top of pie. Garnish with chocolate curls and raspberries.

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs; beaten
4 ounces unsalted butter; melted and cooled
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix sugar and flour. Add eggs, then butter. Add nuts, chocolate chips and vanilla. Pour all into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick in the center and bake longer if necessary. The pie should be somewhat chewy.

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup unsalted butter; or margarine
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs; lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place pecan halves in unbaked pastry shell; set aside.
3. Combine semi-sweet chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate and butter melt, stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Add corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, salt, and beaten eggs to chocolate mixture, mixing well. Pour mixture over pecans in pastry shell.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Serve pie warm, or let cool completely on a wire rack.

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 16-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 eggs; slightly beaten
1 recipe Whipped Cream Maple Topping
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF
2. In large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, raisins, pecans, pumpkin, evaporated milk, maple extract and beaten eggs. Blend well. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temp to 350ºF
5. Bake an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely.

Whipped Cream Maple Topping
1½ cups whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon maple extract

1. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add powdered sugar and maple extract; beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Spread over cooled pie. Garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate until serving time

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup Fruit Sweetener
1 envelope plain gelatin
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons very strong coffee or espresso
24 Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In large bowl, combine fruit sweetener, gelatin and apple sauce. Beat with electric mixer.
3. In small bowl, blend water and cornstarch until smooth. Add cornstarch to fruit sweetener mixture and blend. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and coffee. Pour mixture into pie shell. Decorate top with pecan halves.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes (until custard is set). Cool slightly before cutting.

Fruit Sweetener
½ cup frozen apple juice concentrate
½ cup granulated fructose.

In a small mixing bowl mix apple juice and fructose together.